Sony
/ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has
made SEA HUNT available at major DVD retailers. Do not confuse
these DVD's with the poor quality pirate DVD's offered on some websites.

There are many SEA
HUNT Myths that fans
tell. Some of the myths come from what appears to be very knowledgeable
sources including most other SEA HUNT websites. Only The Scuba Guy website works
toward the most complete and accurate SEA HUNT trivia. If you find an
error on this or other websites, send an eMail to The
Scuba Guyso that your favorite SEA HUNT myth will appear.

Editor Note: Bill Jones, The Scuba
Guy, is a PADI Master Instructor and a Published and Award-Winning
Writer

FACT
or MYTH?SEA
HUNT aired from 1957 to 1962.

That's a MYTH.

FACT:
SEA HUNT originally aired in first-run syndication for four television seasons
from 1958 to 1961 and was in continuous syndicated re-runs into the late 1980's
in some markets.

The reason for this myth is probably because SEA HUNT's two pilots and
a few of the other first season episodes were actually filmed in 1957. Many SEA
HUNT trivia fans are often confused about the range of filming dates and the
Original Release Dates. The show was produced and filmed during the five years of
1957, 58, 59, 60, 61. The show originally aired during the four years of 1958,
59, 60, 61.

Some over-zealous fans clearly remember watching SEA HUNT in 1957 although the
first time SEA HUNT hit the air was January 4, 1958. The final episode
aired September 23, 1961. Since re-runs began immediately, many fans
didn't notice that the show was no longer in first-run.

The reason for this myth is probably because Bridges was quoted as
saying
"We did 39 of them for four years, 156 episodes".
Ok, our hero makes mistakes too. Sorry Mr. Bridges, we wished you had made
156 or more.

Another possible reason for this myth is that SEA HUNT originally
aired in first-run syndication for four television seasons. Ziv planned to
produce the standard 39 episodes each season which was common at the time.
39 episodes times 4 seasons equals 156 episodes.

Unable to compromise with Bridges on the
details of re-tooling the storyline for a 5th season, Ivan Tors pulled the plug
on production with only 38 episodes "in the can" for season 4, ending the show
September 23, 1961 with a total of 155 episodes .

FACT:
Not one episode of SEA HUNT contained shots only from Silver Springs. The
"144 show" claim is a theme park publicity myth.

The reason for this myth is probably because at least one of the
Silver Springs Tour Guides
repeatedly told groups of Silver Springs guests that 144 episodes of SEA HUNT were shot
at Silver Springs.

Another possible reason for this myth is that promotional and
media releases from Silver Springs have, for decades, claimed that more than 100
episodes of SEA HUNT were shot there.

SEA HUNT was shot in a matrix fashion
where the second unit film team would go to locations such as Silver Springs and
shoot topside and underwater "stock footage" that would be edited with mostly
California footage into the storyline for an episode of the show. Stock
footage like this was used to falsely "establish" a location of the story for
the viewer. In other words, it made the viewer think that's where the show was
taking place.

Assume the definition of "an episode was
shot at Silver Springs" means that at least one cut or one scene from Silver
Springs appears in an episode, the episode can be said to have been shot at
Silver Springs. The claim still cannot be true since scenes or shots from Silver
Springs are not in 144 episodes. There were 155 episodes produced and the
claim would imply that only 11 episodes were produced without a Silver Springs
scene or shot. SEA HUNT fans can easily watch 12 shows and know that's not
true.

For the third and fourth season of SEA
HUNT, the second unit permanently moved from Florida to the Bahamas and little
or no second unit footage was shot in Florida after the move. The claim would
suggest that the second unit spent two years in the Bahamas for 11 or fewer
shows. Ivan Tors and Fred Ziv watched the $40,000-per-episode budget a little
too close for that to be true.

FACT: Sea
Hunt was shot in studios, on location, and in the water around California,
Florida, The Bahamas, and even some shots in Nevada

The reason for this myth is probably because Bridges mentioned in
interviews that his family traveled to Hawaii and Australia and went Scuba
diving while they were there. There is an article in at least one
publication that at first glance looks as if Bridges is talking about SEA HUNT
but he is actually referring to his own family vacations.

Another possible reason for this myth is that in
Ziv #2.33, "Proof of Guilt",
Original Release Date: August 16, 1959, the show begins with Mike
Nelson telling the viewers that "it started in the tropical waters
of the Hawaiian Islands. I was running a series of operational tests ...
on underwater photography with both motion picture and television cameras".
Both the topside (notice the Mexican palms) and underwater scenes (notice the
kelp) are from Long Beach and Catalina, not the Hawaiian Islands.

In
Ziv #4.18, "Cougar",
Original Release Date: May
6, 1961,
Mike says he is in Hawaii to search for lion fish. The beach is clearly a
mainland west coast location and with more Mexican palms. Underwater
footage for this episode was shot in Nassau. Actual newsreel footage of
the Mauna Loa volcano erupting in June 1950 is inserted into the episode to
establish the location to the viewer.

Unfortunately for fans today, EastmanColor®
film stocks were notorious for fading to red with age.
The Color
prints used to shop the pilot would be a fantastic memorabilia find if any still
exist. These prints may well require a public auction to determine their
value. MGM has not confirmed the condition of the original Color
masters, but its likely that only the Monochrome masters of these two episodes
still remain intact. The Scuba Guy has been unable to locate anyone
claiming to have a Color
copy in any format of these two episodes. Black & White presentations are
easy to find.

FACT:
SEA HUNT has never aired on the
CBS Television Network or any other broadcast television network. SEA HUNT
re-runs have been aired on several cable networks in recent years including The
Outdoor Network, TV Land, and the THIS network.

The reason for this myth is probably because
some CBS Television
Network local affiliate TV stations around the country aired the syndicated SEA HUNT in primetime
foregoing the
CBS network supplied programming in the timeslot. This caused some fans to
believe that SEA HUNT was on CBS, but that never happened.

Another possible reason for this myth is that even the CBS
Television Network flagship station, WCBS-TV in New York City, broadcasted SEA
HUNT at 10:30p on Saturday nights in primetime grabbing a 25.3 (25.8 the second
week) rating beating out "Wagon Train"
(1957-65), $64,000 Question
(1955-58), Maverick
(1957-62), and Lawrence Welk
(1955-82)! San Francisco,
Pittsburg, and Birmingham even did better than New York City. Miami took
the biggest rating of 33.7 in primetime.

Frederic W. Ziv
masterminded a deal with United Artists to syndicate the series to 167 TV
stations around the country and broadcasting the show to more than 180 markets.
This translates into more than 40-million viewers. SEA HUNT became the
most successful first-run syndicated television show ever.
"Baywatch"
(1989-2001) now holds this title
after airing in first-run syndication in 144 countries to more than one-billion
viewers!

FACT:
The working name for SEA HUNT was UNDERWATER and the working name for the main
character was JASON DOUGLAS not MIKE NELSON.

Ivan Tors was forming the show concept right up to the shooting of the first
pilot and beyond.

Several actors were considered for the part of Jason Douglas, now renamed "Mike Nelson", including Marshall Thompson (Dr. Marsh Tracy, "Daktari" 1966-69), but
Lloyd Bridges showed up for the audition in a tight shirt and slacks
displaying his muscular build and "seemed to be perfect"
for the role.

The Scuba
Guy believes that Tor's did NOT plagiarize the SEA HUNT concept, but like
anything else in life, a person is influenced by everything that you read and
experience.

FACT: The
first ideas about the SEA HUNT television show was conceived in 1955 while
Ivan Tors was producing underwater sequences for "Science
Fiction Theater"(1955-57).

1. In 1955, Tors was formulating his idea for a possible spin-off TV show with an
underwater hero. During this time, Tors was using a small one-man
submarine to make second-unit shots for a couple of episodes of "Science Fiction
Theater" that had underwater themes.

2. Frank
Donahue submitted a proposal to Ziv for a show named "The Underwater Legion"
that included the show format, 12 story outlines, a screenplay, and a proposed
budget. The story was about a world organization of hand picked men that
have dedicated their lives to protecting the seas. These men lived on the
flagship "Courageous", and were headed by Johnny Neptune. The proposal was
for several episodes on "Science
Fiction Theater" (1955-57) or for a possible new TV show. Tors agreed to produce Donahue's pilot but
then backed-out two weeks later saying he didn't like the idea. Donahue filed a
California civil action against Ivan Tors and planned a separate action against Ziv Television Programs alleging that in 1955,
he had conceived the idea for the show "The Underwater Legion" that had become Tors' and Ziv's
project that was now in pre-production under the working title of
"UNDERWATER".
Donahue claimed that he had incurred $250,000 in costs and damages for his unsold pilot.
Ziv and Tors denied most of the allegations. The court found no
significant similarity between "The Underwater Legion" and UNDERWATER and found
that the UNDERWATER concept was an independent literary work of Ivan Tors.
In a 1969 Donahue vs. United Artists case decision, a jury awarded Donahue $2.00
for each of 100,000 telecasts of SEA HUNT. The court affirmed that
$200,000 was a reasonable value of Donahue's ideas that were wrongfully used.

3. Some fans believe that an unsold half-hour TV pilot "Sea
Divers" (1956) inspired SEA HUNT.
The pilot stars Rhodes Reason (as Tom Gorman)
and John Smith (as Mike Gilbert)
and tells the story of two divers that are hired to find valuable papers in a
shipwreck. Harold Minniear, the creator of "Sea Divers", sued Ziv claiming that he had shown
the "idea" to Ziv and to producers and within the television industry. The
creator further claimed that it was understood that if the producers were to use
the idea, they would pay the submitter for the idea. While there was no
express contract with Ziv to pay for "Sea Divers", "there was an implied
contract, and that it is understood in the industry that when a showing is made,
the "offeror" shall be paid for any ideas or material used therein". The
court concluded that "there is substantial evidence in the record for the jury
to infer a reasonable expectation by appellant that the defendant Ziv might buy
the idea for a TV underwater series in the spring of 1956". Other facts brought out in this case include: Thomas
Scott, a film editor for Ziv, cut and edited "Sea Divers" at Ziv facilities. Minniear also gave Tors a booklet with the outline of "Sea Divers". A month
after seeing the pilot, Tors began production of "SEA HUNT", hired "Sea Divers"
underwater photographer and attempted to hire one "Sea Divers" leading men.
Tors had purchased from Minniear a story and used it in the SEA HUNT premiere
and pilot "Sixty Feet Below" Ziv #1.1.

4. USNR Commander Francis Doug Fane
and Dan Moore
published a book in 1956 about the
Navy Underwater Demolition Team. Titled
"The Naked Warriors", the book documented the UDT during World War II and the
Korean War. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Ivan Tors picked up the theatrical
rights and produced "The Underwater
Warriors" (1958), a feature movie based on Fane’s book. Dan Dailey played
Commander Fane and the real Fane was the Technical Consultant on the film.
During this production, Tors began framing his idea of the hero character
JASON DOUGLAS (Mike Nelson) for
his concept television series that would be loosely based on Fane's
military life during World War II with a post war and post military story.

The reason for this myth is probably because there are several
internet websites that incorrectly list James Buxbaum as the
show's creator.

Another possible reason for this myth is in
Ziv #4.37, "Crime at
Sea", Original
Release Date: September 16, 1961, Buxbaum was given a
"Created By" credit for suggesting the idea for the episode, not creating the SEA
HUNT television series.

Buxbaum was an attorney by
profession and was related to Tor's wife. If you look back at the previous
MYTH above, you will also notice that none of those lawsuits named Buxbaum as
the person alleged as the person that plagiarized "their" ideas.

The reason for this myth is probably because there have
been rumors in Hollywood over the years about several possible script
ideas for a movie. Peter Benchley, who wrote "Jaws"
(1975), was hired by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in November 1994 to write a script that would focus on the
estranged son of Mike Nelson. Still four years before his death, no one
was sure if Lloyd Bridges would come back to play Mike Nelson but speculation
was that they would try to get Jeff Bridges to play Nelson's son in the movie.
MGM planned to release the movie in 1997. The project never really got off the
ground. Bridges died in 1998. Benchley died in 2006.

Another possible reason for this myth is that
Bridges played Dr. Doug Standish in "Around the
World Under the Sea"
(1966). In this
Ivan Tors
MetroColor® production, the crew of a five-man new experimental submarine,
The Hydronaut, travels the world
oceans planting sensors on the ocean floor to warn scientists of any impending
earthquakes. Marshall Thompson, the guy that Bridges beat-out for the Mike
Nelson role during SEA HUNT auditions, plays along side of Bridges as Dr. Orin Hillyard. Ricou
Browning directs Lamar Boren's shooting of the diving sequences while Elmer
Parsons, Arthur Weiss and Art Arthur handle the screen writing, all are SEA HUNT
veterans.

Another possible reason for this myth is that
Bridges played Vic Powers in "Daring
Game"
(1968). In this Ivan Tors
film production, a Scuba diving expert
that uses specially designed underwater equipment to search for a man and his
daughter who are being held prisoner on a tiny island. SEA HUNT's
Ricou
Browning directs Lamar Boren's shooting of the diving sequences and
Art Arthur came up with the story idea and wrote the screenplay.

FACT
or MYTH?SEA HUNT was technically
correct with Scuba rules and theory.

That's a MYTH.

FACT:
SEA HUNT made lots of errors
concerning current Scuba rules and theory of the time.

The reason for this myth is probably because the "look and feel"
of the show seems so convincing to audiences that even Master Scuba Instructors
watching the old shows today will ignore Mike's total lack of buddy-system
diving and needlessly dropping weight belts.
"Courtney Brown was my mentor", said Bridges. "He taught me so many things about the underwater
world. He... was responsible for making me look good. We felt my
form was very important, my strokes, how I kicked".

The fact is that many of the stories about nitrogen narcosis, getting the
bends, maximum bottom
times, ascent rates, and "deadly re-breathers" often contained erroneous
or over simplified information

Bridges readily admitted that the concept of him diving alone was not accepted
by the sport diving community as it "violates the
principles of buddy diving".
He went on to claim that the shows were not meant to be a documentary
and "our excuse for existence is
in dramatic entertainment and our purpose is to present an illusion of
reality in dangerous situations which the public will enjoy and want to
see".

NAUI Co-Founder Al Tillman was an un-credited
Script Technical Advisor and Consultant for SEA HUNT. He was only given a
few dozen of the 155 scripts to read. Tillman would send his comments
back to the writers and was paid $25 for each script.
In spite of his best efforts, there are lots of technical Scuba errors and
unrealistic storylines in Sea Hunt that certainly weren't Tillman's doing.
The writers thought these questionable ideas would make the storyline more
interesting and the average viewer wouldn't know the difference.

The
point is that you would be much better off taking a Scuba certification class
at your local dive center than to try to learn Scuba diving from watching SEA
HUNT.

FACT:
We never meet anyone who is said to be Mike Nelson's daughter in the original
1958 SEA HUNT series.

The reason for this myth is probably because
SEA HUNT had become a very successful TV show by 1960 and National Telefilm
Associates
(NTA)
made a television series called "Assignment
Underwater" (1960)
for first-run syndication. The show starred Bill Williams as Bill Greer
and Diane Mountford as Patty Greer. Greer is an ex-marine, professional
diver, and owner of the "Lively Lady" charter boat. Greer, a widower,
fights crime under the sea with the help of his eight-year-old daughter Patty.
Sound familiar? There were only 39 episodes of "Assignment Underwater".

Another possible reason for this myth is that in
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 1987 remake of SEA HUNT, Kimber Sissons plays Mike
Nelson's daughter Jennifer Nelson who is a young woman. Nelson is played
by Ron Ely.

Both
of Lloyd Bridges real-life sons appear in the original SEA HUNT series but not
as Mike Nelson's sons. Bridges had a real-life daughter Cindy, but she
never appeared in the show.

FACT:
There were no repeating characters of female interest or otherwise other than
the Mike Nelson character in SEA HUNT. Parry played several different characters
and did stunt doubling for many actresses in the show.

The reason for this myth is probably becauseZale Parry did
perform several powerful portrayals of female divers in SEA HUNT. When
Bridges was asked if he should have had a regular love interest in the show, he
replied
"No, not really. I just felt that I was there to show all these different
things that happened underwater. Having a love interest might not have set
well with the kids".
In spite of this Bridges quote, Mike Nelson had many unrelated female
relationships over the four years, each was separate and in an individual
episode, and no female relationship repeated in another episode.

Parry continues her enthusiastic public
speaking about SEA HUNT and Scuba diving and has encouraged thousands of women
and men to learn how to dive. Perhaps the most important role Parry has
ever played is that of "Scuba Good-Will Ambassador" for which she earns a place
in the history and evolution of recreational diving. Considered by many as
the First Lady of Diving, Parry lives in Oregon these days and still enjoys speaking and diving and is
available for personal appearances fully armed with SEA HUNT stories, videos,
and slides.

In February 2010, Parry and Bridges were honored at a SEA
HUNT 50th Anniversary celebration held by National Association of Underwater
Instructors NAUI at the Hilton Garden Inn in Riverview Florida. Parry
said, "Diving
exploded in popularity because millions of kids grew up wanting to be like Mike
Nelson".

FACT
or MYTH?Mike Nelson is seen touching another diver's breast during an episode.

It's a FACT.

FACT: Nelson is swimming slightly ahead of
another diver in a cave when his left hand clearly touches the other diver's
left breast. In another episode, Nelson pokes at another diver with his
finger.

This is one of those stories that has
evolved into lots of different versions but the base story is true. The
Scuba Guy has been in broadcasting since 1968 and still cannot explain how
something like this can make it all the way to broadcast without being edited.

On July 19, 1959, Ziv released episode
Ziv #2.29, "The Female".
The story is about a beautiful woman that plots revenge against Nelson after
flunking out of his scuba instructors class. There are reports that a
couple of affiliates cut a few frames out of their copy before air time but it's
clear that most stations aired the episode in its entirety. Re-runs shown
on TV today and copies of this episode sold on the web include the controversial
frames.

This is
the infamous episode where Nelson is seen cupping
Zale Parry's breast while
diving in a cave. It does not appear to be Lloyd Bridges but rather one of
his underwater stunt doubles playing Mike Nelson. It does appear to be
Parry. The footage was shot in the fresh water of Silver Springs Florida. Many fans wrongly suggest that this
"cupping scene" is from Ziv #1.6, "Female of the Species".

It happens again February 4, 1961 when Ziv released
Ziv #4.5, "The Dancer".
This time Nelson pokes the female stunt double possibly
Wende Wagner in the
left breast twice with his left middle finger. Again, its probably not
Lloyd Bridges but possibly stunt double
"Big John"
McLaughlin. Along on the dive appears to be Wagner's husband
Courtney Brown.
This footage was shot in Nassau, Bahamas

The reason for this myth is probably because an Aquanaut is an underwater explorer and the word sounds similar to Argonaut.

Ivan Tors
derived the boat's name from the ancient Greek tale of Jason and his ship the
"Argo", built by the master ship builder Argo. Argonauts were the Argo's
crew members that traveled with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece.

Throughout the SEA HUNT
series, we see Mike using a lot of different boats named Argonaut and Argonaut II including a Chris-Craft, a
1955 wooden Eddy Craft that included a prop that was supposed to be an
underwater TV monitor, and a 33-ft 1960 Trojan Sea Breeze (seen here).

Look carefully at the Argonaut name on the
boats in the early first season episodes. It looks like a wooden or
cardboard Argonaut sign covering the rented boat's real name.

In Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's new version of
SEA HUNT (1987-88),
Mike Nelson's boat's name is "Sea Hunt".

FACT: Bridges playing Mike Nelson wore a
two-tone Rolex Submariner in the two pilot episodes, an Elgin
"Canteen"
(model 18W8) wrist watch during
early episodes, next he was wearing a two-tone yellow gold and stainless steel
expanding-bracelet Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, and later an
expanding-bracelet, unidirectional rotating-bezel Rolex Submariner (model 6538 large crown).

The reason for this myth is probably because
Bridges wore a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms dive watch in a photo that appeared on
the cover of the February 1962 edition of Skin Diver Magazine
(photo at right). The Elgin
and Rolex watches
were property of Ziv United Artists Television, not Bridges personal property at
the time this photo was shot. In real life, Bridges
(not Mike Nelson)
was also seen around town wearing a gold Rolex two-tone black-face Submariner, a
watch from Cartier, and a Blancpain dive watch. In later years, Bridges
was often photographed wearing a yellow gold Rolex Submariner with a blue bezel
and matching blue dial which is visible on Bridges wrist in the movie "Airplane!"(1980). The Cartier watch was
a gift to
Bridges from the SEA HUNT crew after the show ended.

Since Bridges death in 1998, Jeff Bridges has often been photographed wearing
this distinctive blue-dial Submariner. On the February 3, 2011 episode of
"The Tonight Show", Jeff Bridges told Jay Leno that he wears "my
father's SEA HUNT watch that he gave me. It calms me down ... I wear it
every day".

In the two pilot episodes, Nelson is wearing a two-tone Submariner (which may have been
Bridges' personal
property) and sometimes Nelson is wearing no watch at all.

The Elgin Canteen was worn by U.S.
Navy Underwater Demolition Team divers during the 1940's and 50's. It has a very
distinctive appearance because of the stem cap and chain that looks like a
canteen cap. The watch is smaller than most men's watches. The Elgin
is clearly seen in Ziv #1.2 "Flooded
Mine" and Ziv #1.18, "The Sponge
Divers" and in other
episodes too.

The Rolex flagship model "Oyster Perpetual Datejust" was introduced in 1945, and
was one of the first Rolex models to carry a date display on its dial through an
aperture at the 3 o'clock position. The two-tone gold and stainless steel
Datejust models are naturally self-winding and waterproof up to 330 feet.

The Rolex Submariner series watches are known to collectors as the "James Bond
Submariners" and have become the standard that dive watches are compared to
still today (even though this is not the highest standard in dive watches on the
market). Sean Connery is believed to be wearing a model 6538 in "Dr.
No" (1962) and because of that, many collectors will say that only
the 6538 Submariners are the "James Bond Submariners". In any case, since
Mike Nelson is seen wearing the model 6538 more than two years before "Dr. No"
was released, Bridges would have had no idea that he was wearing what would
become the Rolex "James Bond Submariner" dive watch. Each Submariner case
is made from a solid block of 904L corrosion-resistant stainless steel and gold alloy and sell for about $7,000 to $9,000. Custom and jeweled
versions can go for as much as $40,000 or more. The watch is designed for
a depth of up to 1000 feet which far exceeds the maximum recreational dive depth
of 130 feet. Rolex is a trademark of Roles Swiss.

FYI: George Lazenby wore a stainless steel Rolex 6238
Oyster Twinlock 600 series number 1206613 in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969). A modified Rolex
Submariner worn by Roger Moore in "Live and Let Die" (1973) sold at Christie's in 2011 for
$243,959. In October 2012, an Omega Seamaster worn by Daniel Craig in "Skyfall" (2012) was sold by Christie's for $254,273.

The reason for this myth is probably because several knife
sellors have made this claim on some of the popular auction websites to make
their Puma "Frogman" knife more attractive to collectors. The myth was probably told as
early as while the show was in first-run syndication since the "Frogman" and
"Vulcan" are very similar looking knives with a protective guard over
the finger-holds.

Voit and Ziv Television Programs had a joint Voit-SEA HUNT professional Scuba
product marketing promotion deal. The contract called for Voit scuba gear to be
featured throughout the series. There was no such cross-promotion deal with
Puma.

In early episodes, Nelson carries a USN Mark II Ka-Bar combat knife issued for
the U.S. Navy and Marines. The knife was made of 1095 carbon steel and
Nelson's had an optional synthetic Kraton handle (a non-slip rubber substitute
for the standard leather) which was manufactured by The Union Cutlery Company.
This knife has no protective guard over the finger-holds. The knife would
have required regular lubrication to be used in saltwater. Today's dive
knives are stainless steel.

FACT
or MYTH?Bridges recapped the "lessons learned" with a safety message at the end of
each episode.

That's a MYTH.

FACT: At the end of each show, following the
last commercial break but before the ending credits, Bridges would be seen on
his boat telling viewers to tune-in again next week, couched in what many fans
and most websites wrongly remember as a "safety message" that was somehow associated
with the storyline.

SEA
HUNT Tune-In-Again-Next-Week "Tag Lines"exactly as Performed by Lloyd
Bridges

1. "Hi, there, I'm Lloyd Bridges. Skin diving is
certainly a lot of fun and it's full of adventure. See some more of it again
next week, huh? ... when there'll be another excursion into that
fabulous underwater world of SEA HUNT."

2. "Hello there. I'm Lloyd Bridges. Skin diving is fun
and adventure for young and old, but it can be dangerous! So know the sport well
and don't take any chances. ... be with you next week for another exciting SEA
HUNT."

3. "Hello there. I'm Lloyd
Bridges. You know,
three-fifths of the world is covered by the sea, and how little most of us know
about that underwater world. Go below with us again next week, huh? ... for another thrilling adventure in SEA
HUNT."

4. "Hi. I'm Lloyd Bridges inviting you to join us for
another action-packed story of underwater adventure one week from today."

5. "I'll be back next week at this same time with
another SEA HUNT story. Plan to be with us again. Huh?"

The reason for this myth is probably because in one of
these "closing tags" that aired in the rotation, Bridges
reminds viewers that Scuba Diving can be "dangerous". Actually,
there were just five of these tags, they were rotated among shows, and the tags had no
connection with the storyline.

Another myth that is often told is that Bridges
would make a plea to protect the oceans in the closing tags. Beau Bridges
is often quoted saying that his dad made these pleas at the end of each episode
but the tags are clearly just an invitation to the viewer to "tune-in again next
week".
The five
closing tags that aired are shown in the box to the right exactly as aired and
performed by Bridges.

Many TV shows of the day would end with
some sort of invitation to watch the show again next week. One of the better
remembered closing tags in the 60's was "Tune-in again next week, Same Bat Time,
Same Bat Channel". Today this is usually done a little more discretely by showing
you scenes from next week's show and touting the promo with an excited
announcer, "Next week on Boston Legal".

Many affiliates didn't even air these SEA
HUNT "tag
lines" so they could use these precious seconds of air time for their own promo
or commercial followed by SEA HUNT's closing credits.

FACT:
One day before shooting began on the first pilot episode 1B “Mark of the Octopus” Ziv
#1.4, Bridges had his first Scuba lesson in Courtney Brown's swimming pool.
Bridges was an accomplished actor and had appeared in 94 movies and 27
television shows before accepting the Mike Nelson role.

The reason for this myth is probably because Bridges and stunt
double artist Courtney Brown made Scuba diving look so easy.
"Courtney Brown was my mentor", said Bridges. "He taught me so many things about the underwater
world. He... was responsible for making me look good. We felt my
form was very important, my strokes, how I kicked. We wanted to set a good
example for the growing number of divers watching".

"People believe that he was a skin
diver, he carried that part off so believably",
said Jeff Bridges.

Bridges showed up for the audition in a tight shirt and slacks
displaying his muscular build and "seemed to be perfect" for the role. Tors
had seen Bridges playing Ray Douglas, a hard-hat diver in the movie "Sixteen
Fathoms Deep" (1948),
and extended an offer for the part in his new show SEA HUNT.

FACT
or MYTH?Bridges "Star" on "The Hollywood Walk of Fame" is in front of a PADI
Dive Center on Vine Street.

That's a MYTH.

FACT: Bridges "Star" is in front of the
old offices
of the Screen Actor's Guild at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard (SAG moved to Wilshire
Boulevard in the early 1990's).

The reason for this myth is probably because it seems appropriate
for his Star to be located in front of a dive store. Subject to
availability, property owner's approval, and approval of the Hollywood Chamber
of Commerce, an actor may influence the locating of their "Star".

"The Hollywood Walk of Fame" sidewalks run for 18 blocks from Gower Street to La
Brea Avenue on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard. The Walk of Fame also runs for
three blocks along Vine Street from Sunset Boulevard to Yucca Street (crossing
Hollywood Boulevard). The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce receives about 200
nominations per year for "the award" and select about 20. Only 1
posthumous award is allowed each year. The Chamber charges $15,000 for
"the honor". About 2200 "Stars" are on "the walk".

FACT
or MYTH?"Sixty Feet Below" Ziv #1.1 is the Pilot Episode used to shop SEA HUNT to
broadcasters.

That's not exactly a FACT or a MYTH.

FACT:
"Sixty Feet Below" Ziv #1.1 and "Mark of the Octopus" Ziv #1.4 were both Pilot
Episodes that were shot and shown to broadcasters before any deal had ever been
made to air SEA HUNT.

The reason for this myth is probably because Fred Ziv insisted
that "Sixty Feet Below" Ziv #1.1 was used to shop SEA HUNT to the networks and
syndicated affiliates.

Two pilot episodes of SEA HUNT were shot.
Ziv Television Productions used the following numbering scheme as Production
Sequence Numbers for the production pilots. "1B" was assigned to the first
pilot episode “Mark
of the Octopus” Ziv #1.4
that was unsuccessfully used to shop the networks. A second pilot was made
and "2B" was assigned to "Sea Dart" (title was later
changed to "Sixty Feet Below" Ziv #1.1)
and it was used to re-shop the networks and shop syndicated affiliates.

The reason for this myth is probably because one of the television
database websites makes the claim without substantiation and erroneously copied
the incorrect information from another website that was misinformed at the time.

In a letter to The Scuba Guy, Gilbreath's nephew insists that Gilbreath
was never a Cinematographer. There is no evidence that Gilbreath was ever
in a cinematography union.

Gilbreath's contributions can be seen in many
SEA HUNT episodes and
in many other 1950's TV shows and movies. An experienced Bell 47G helicopter pilot, Gilbreath's work includes
piloting aircraft as a camera platform to establish location shots
such as 'proving that the Argonaut is in the middle of the ocean' to
establishing exteriors in "I Love Lucy"
(1951-57). He also piloted for stunts and to create subject shots in
"The Whirlybirds"
(1957-59). He was regularly used by Desilu productions and
piloted for the
aerial shots in "Oklahoma"
(1955).

Tors used National Helicopter Service and
Engineering Company to supply the needed helicopter
camera platforms for SEA HUNT, a company founded by Gilbreath and others. On July 1, 1961, Gilbreath was killed in an
unrelated
helicopter crash in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.

FACT:
Darin (who was born Walden Robert Cassotto in New York
on May 14, 1936)
never appeared in SEA HUNT.

The reason for this myth is probably because Grammy award winning
Bobby Darin of "Mack the Knife" fame went through a period in his career where
he was doing dramatic roles and insisted on being credited at Robert Darin.
At the same time, another dramatic actor named Robert Darin appeared on SEA HUNT
in Ziv #3.3,
"Mr. Big", Original Release Date:
January 23, 1960, B&W.
Darin's "Official Website" claimed that Darin appeared on SEA HUNT.

After a flood of letters from SEA HUNT
fans, Bobby Darin fans, and The Scuba Guy website fans, The Scuba Guy
researched the issue and found that SEA HUNT's Robert Darin is clearly not
Grammy winning Bobby Darin of "Mack the Knife" fame. Darin's "Official
Website" no longer makes the claim that Bobby Darin appeared on SEA HUNT.

Darin, 37, died in Los Angeles on December
20, 1973 following open-heart surgery.

FACT: Brittany
appeared in SEA HUNT and she would have been 8 at the time the episode first
aired, maybe she was 7 at the time the footage was shot.

On the "official" Dallas TV Show website,
there is an interview with Morgan Brittany where the interviewer states,
"You started off acting at the age of 5 in a series called Sea Hunt."
Brittany turned 5 on December 5, 1956, just months before the first SEA HUNT pilot was
shot and over a year before regular episode filming had begun.

In a June 2007 letter,
Morgan Brittany
assured The Scuba Guy that she appeared in a SEA HUNT episode as a little
girl named Cindy when she was about 6 or 7. Brittany went on to say, "I vividly remember working at Hansen Dam on a very cold
day when they shoved me under the water with a scuba mask and then brought me up
out of the water, wrapped me in a blanket and handed me over to my father in the
show".Hansen Dam provides flood control protection of for
lower portions of the San Fernando Valley and includes recreational areas for
water sports.

Brittany appeared in SEA HUNT episode
Ziv #3.18, "Cindy",
Original Release Date: May
7, 1960, B&W and is credited with her real name Suzanne Cupito. She is seen
clearly in several scenes toward the end of the episode, although she has no
on-screen lines. It's unclear if her voice was used in some scenes where
we hear the voice of "Cindy" but she does not appear in those scenes. It's
unfortunate that some of the film Brittany refers to in her letter, where she is wearing
a scuba mask, never makes it to the final print of the episode as Mike Nelson
saves the trapped Cindy from a well she has fallen into. The story was
changed to match the underwater footage shot with a child mannequin in Silver
Springs and Bridges explains in his narration that he must "pinch her nose"
while she breathes on the extra regulator and tank he has brought with him.
Apparently, Nelson didn't bring a child's scuba mask with him on the rescue.
We do see her being wrapped in a blanket and handed to the actor playing her father in the show.

Brittany's credited SEA HUNT appearance
comes
prior to her un-credited first appearance on the Twilight Zone in the episode "Nightmare as a
Child"
(1960). Brittany appeared
credited in two of her three episodes of
Twilight Zone
(1959-64).Brittany is also credited as Suzanne Cupito in "My Child Is Yet a Stranger" (1962)
and "The Wonder of Wanda"
(1963) episodes of "The Lloyd
Bridges Show" (1962-1963).
She would have been 10 and 11 years of age respectively when these shows were
made.